


Doppleganger's Anonymous

by sekairrific



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Banter, Enemies to Friends, Language, M/M, lovers implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-06 23:23:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20515199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sekairrific/pseuds/sekairrific
Summary: What is it that they say? There's about 6 people in the world who look like you but chances are you'll never meet them. So what happens when that doesn't necessarily ring true? Co-Creative Directors Oh Sehun and Kim Jongin aren't necessarily the best of friends but certainly not the worst of enemies either. They co-exist to say the least. However, that all changes when their friends and fellow employees think they've finally resolved the tension between them. Except, all isn't as it appears to be.





	Doppleganger's Anonymous

**Author's Note:**

> I guess you could say this was a spin on what we usually think of when we hear doppleganger. This is just a man living a pretty normal life just with a secret of his own. A secret that he wasn't aware had future implications. 
> 
> To the prompter: I hope this is a fun take on your prompt. I apologize in advance if it's not exactly what you were looking. Either way, I enjoyed writing it :D

Another day, another dollar. That was Jongin’s daily mantra and today was no different. Jongin didn’t hate his job per se. Most of the time he was indifferent to it. The people were fine for the most part and the pay kept him afloat without worrying about the simple necessities of life. He was well-off, so he really had no room to complain. Well, except about the hours. At the age of twenty-one, Jongin started out as an intern for a high-end fashion director. Now at the age of twenty-six he had made it to Co-Creative Director. Yes, Co. He didn’t solely own that title. Unfortunately, he shared it with literally the worst person to exist Oh Sehun. Sehun started there shortly after Jongin and has been the most unbearable person to work with. Just breathing the same air as the man, made Jongin irritated. As much as he wanted to complain about Sehun’s work ethic he couldn’t. He always showed up on time, contributed well to new plans, executed his work flawlessly, and of course everyone loved him. Everyone, except Jongin. He never really understood the fuss around the man. He did what he was supposed to do. So what made him so special? 

Jongin was headed to his master bathroom when he heard his phone ring from the bedside table. He had the urge to ignore the call and return after his shower but something told him he should answer it.

“Hello?” He said in his groggy morning voice.

“Did I wake you?”

“Not entirely, Baekhyun. What do you want? I’m getting ready.”

“Good. I need you to do something for me.”

This could either be very bad or really good. Baekhyun was his right hand man. Not necessarily an intern but he helped Jongin and unfortunately Sehun with literally any and everything they needed. More like their personal assistant. He also was the one to tell them if plans on something changed so, Jongin proceeded with much caution. 

“What?” he grumbled out

Jongin had a really bad feeling about this.

“Boss, needs you to fly to New York today.”

Okay, that wasn’t too bad. He could handle that. They did have a fashion show coming up so it made sense that they might need a few extra hands on deck. Yeah, this would be fine!

“How long?”

“Just two days. He needs you to narrow things down and double check that everyone that we need to be there will be there.”

“I think I can handle that.”

“I know you can. Your flight leaves at 10:00.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

“No, thank you,” Baekhyun quickly responded before ending the call.

With that they parted ways. So, instead of heading straight to his shower he went to his walk-in closet and grabbed one of his many to-go bags. He prided himself on always being ready for anything so it didn’t take him long to pack and finally make it to that shower that Baekhyun interrupted. An hour later he was headed out of his loft and to the airport. He had some time to grab a quick muffin from the cafe down the street before he sped off in the direction of the airport. By the time he made it through all the check-ins and to his gate there was about thirty minutes before boarding started. He went to grab his phone out of his pocket to let Baekhyun know he made it when a figure loomed over him. Looking up, he saw the last person he wanted to see.

“You have got to be kidding me right now.”

He should’ve known. This was way too easy. Damn, Baekhyun to hell and back. Honestly and truly, damn Baekhyun.

“What? Not happy to see me? I’m hurt Jongin.”

“Fuck off.”

Why couldn’t he have nice things? His morning was going great. Despite the change of plans everything had been running smoothly. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining. The birds were chirping. There was a nice breeze and he got a fresh out of the oven chocolate chip muffin. What really could have possibly gone wrong? Well the answer was currently standing right in front of him. 

“I take it Baekhyun didn’t tell you?”

Was that not obvious, Jongin thought to himself. If he had any other choice he wouldn’t be at this airport if he knew Sehun was going to be there. Baekhyun wouldn’t hear the end of this.

“So, you’re not going to speak to me?”

“Did you miss the part where I kindly said fuck off?”

Sehun just sighed as he took a seat next to Jongin. Being extremely petty, by most people’s standards he got up and took the seat directly across from him. From his peripheral vision he saw Sehun just shake his head. Oh well, he’d get over it. To pass the time, Jongin called instead of texting Baekhyun.

“Did you make it to the airport?”

“Yeah. And so did a certain someone else.”

Sehun was staring a hole into Jongin’s face and he really could not give a single damn. He just rolled his eyes and continued blatantly talking about Sehun while he was sitting right in front of him.

“Oh, sorry. It slipped my mind.”

“Sure it did. A lot of things slip your mind when it comes to him and I.”

And that was true. 

“Passengers of Flight 9488 from Seoul to New York will be boarding shortly. Those with pre-boarding passes and children traveling unattended can prepare to board.” The sound of the gate attendant cut through his conversation with Baekhyun. Hanging up the phone he made sure all his items were together before he stood up to stretch and wait for his chance to board.

He felt eyes on the back of his head but he knew whose they were without having to turn around. It was best that he didn’t acknowledge it, so for once he could spare Sehun a snarky comment. 

“Thank you all for your continued patience we are now prepared to proceed with the rest of the boarding process.”

Jongin headed to the line that was quickly forming with Sehun hot on his toes. He didn’t understand why the other wanted to be in line next to him considering they probably would be seated nowhere near each other, which he was grateful for. Working with Sehun for the next few days was one thing but being cooped up in a flying tube next to the man for over ten hours was even worse. 

Someone who was clearly in a rush bumped into him which caused Jongin to nearly topple over the poor lady in front of him and Sehun rammed into his back. He didn’t know which he was angrier at, Sehun for being on him or the man who had the patience of a hare. No, he knew what he was mad at but took it out on the person closest to him.

“Damn it! Get off me will you?” He grumbled at the taller man behind him.

“Sorry. No need to be rude about it.”

“Well if you were paying attention to where you were going this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Whatever, Jongin I’m not going to argue with you.”

“That’s the best decision you’ve probably made all year.”

Sehun didn’t acknowledge him after that. He just pulled out his boarding pass and walked up to the gate agent. Jongin helped the lady in front of him through the gate and down the walkway. It was the least he could do for running into her with his 6ft frame. 

“Thank you, sweetheart. Is that your friend up there looking at us?”

Jongin looked up to see Sehun staring at them. He had a look of like he wanted to help but didn’t know how to approach the situation. They were kind of boggled down by the weight of their carry-on luggage and the lady walked with a limp. An extra set of hands would have been helpful.

“Not a friend, no, but a colleague.”

“Oh. Well he looks quite nice.”

Well if he were that nice he would do them a favor and stop staring and walk his long-legged modelesque body over and help them. Wait, did he just compliment him? Hmm---well at least he didn’t say it out loud because that would have been embarrassing. 

“Can I take something for you ma’am?” 

“If you could, my bag is getting quite heavy. Can’t move like I used too.” Jongin watched as Sehun took the medium-sized bag out of the woman’s hand and held it in his own. Guess, Jongin was wrong again. Sehun was not only good-looking but kind too. But he knew that. He knew that from the moment he showed up at the company only a few short months after him all those years ago. Once again, he thought about why didn’t they like each other. Or is it just a one-sided thing and Sehun just responds accordingly? Well that was certainly a statement to unpack at a later date.

They continued down the ramp and onto the plane without much further delay. Jongin had helped the woman get settled into her seat before he went to his, a few rows back and got in. He was about to put his seatbelt on when another figure stood over him. He figured it was just a random person so he didn’t think much of it when he started to get up to move out of the way. However, all motion ceases when he saw exactly who it was. The universe really hated him didn’t it?

“You’ve really got to be kidding me now?” 

“I’m sorry.” Sehun just said as Jongin moved out of his aisle seat and let Sehun past to get to the window. This was about to be a really long 10+ hour flight, but luckily for Jongin he could fall asleep at the drop of a dime. Neither said anything as passengers continued to board the plane. Sehun was looking out the window; headphones softly playing music while Jongin just stared ahead at the people getting situated. He never relaxed until the plane was at cruising altitude and the lights were down low. Like most flights he would be fast asleep and probably would last the majority of the flight; interruptions only being the flight attendants serving drinks and snacks. 

Finally, the flight attendant came over the speakers to inform them that they would be taking off soon while another went and checked all the overhead bins and made sure all seats and tray tables were locked and in the upright position. Jongin decided now was the time to start his inflight relaxation ritual. He felt the plane starting to taxi down the runway and he let that slow his breathing. Closing his eyes he breathed in and out slowly. He was never afraid of flying but this helped him to get into a good headspace for a long flights sleep. Ignoring the eyes that he felt on him he continued on with his meditation. The plane was now speeding down the runway and soon they were in the air. Luckily, Sehun had the decency to lower the shades so the morning sunlight wasn’t bearing down on them. See, he had some sense. 

***

Sehun stayed awake for the first few hours of the flight. Catching up on a few web series that he missed because of work, reading over what his job wanted for this trip, accepting in-flight beverages, and discreetly staring at Jongin’s side profile. The last part he knew he couldn’t do if the man was awake. So, he was going to take the chance whenever and wherever he got it. From the moment he met him he thought he was the most beautiful person he had ever come across. His height nearly matching his own. His skin that was smooth and glowed when the sun hit it at just the right angles. His black hair that was shaved at the sides, a great contrast to his skin. And those hands. He couldn’t begin to think about what he wanted those hands to do to him. Where he wanted them gripping parts of his body. His body got hot at just the idea. But he would never have that. Not with the real Kim Jongin at least. No, all he would ever get from that man was gruff responses, blow offs, rude comments, and sometimes nothing at all. He never understood what he did wrong but he took things in stride. 

“Sir, would you like something else to drink?” The flight attendant was coming down the aisle again for the second time during their long flight. 

“No, thank you.”

“Do you know if he would like anything for when he wakes up?” She nodded in the direction of Jongin. Sehun didn’t know the answer to that question and he was tempted to tell her no but decided against it at the last second.

“Some water should do.”

The flight attendant nodded and headed down the rest of the plane. Most people were starting to fall asleep. Overhead lights were being turned off and the window shades were being pulled down. Soon enough the entire cabin would be dark and he would also be following suit behind the other sleeping passengers. Choosing a playlist to fall asleep to he took one last look at Jongin next to him and then got as comfortable as one could get in a plane. 

“No. I didn’t order anything. Obviously, because I was asleep.” Sehun must’ve fallen asleep quite fast because what woke him up was a commotion next to him.

“Sir, your seatmate ordered a glass of water for you.” The same flight attendant from earlier was talking calmly to Jongin but even in Sehun’s groggy state he could tell she was losing her patience with him. 

“She’s right. I thought maybe you would like something to drink when you woke up.” Sehun said in the same voice that the flight attendant was using. Hell, if Jongin didn’t want the water for whatever reason Sehun would take it, so as not to be rude. It was just water anyway. Not like they were trying to poison anyone.

“You what?” Jongin was now looking at Sehun incredulously. He didn’t feel like getting into another baseless and unwarranted argument with him. They would for sure have time for that over the course of this entire trip, but right now he was too exhausted for anything more than one of Jongin’s gruff unintelligible responses. Ignoring Jongin he reached over and grabbed the water and the woman nodded in a silent thank you.

“You don’t always have to be so rude ya know? If you didn’t want the water you could’ve just taken it and not drank it.” Sehun took a sip from the cup and the ice cold feeling going down his throat was absolutely heaven. He was actually kind of glad that Jongin didn’t accept the water because this was quite frankly the best way he could have woken up.

“I was going to drink that.”

“You weren’t.” Sehun said matter-of-factly. 

Finishing off the glass of water in two more swigs, he placed the cup on the tray, put his headphones back in and went back to sleep. There was nothing left to say to Jongin and he refused to give the man any airtime. They still had at least seven more hours of this flight left and he’d be damned if he spent even half of that arguing. He felt Jongin shift in his seat next to him but he made no effort to open his eyes to see why. He’d be seeing him again in a few hours time anyway.

The next time Sehun woke up his head was bouncing off the window because the pilot clearly opted for a rough landing. They hit the ground hard once before rising again only to have an equally rough second landing. Raising the window shade he looked out to see darkness and the city glowing brightly behind the airport. Welcome to the city that never sleeps. Looking at his phone he noted it was going into midnight.They seemed to have gotten in a few hours ahead of schedule. He couldn’t wait to lay his head on a decent pillow. Remembering the schedule that Baekhyun had sent them earlier he knew they had to be up by at least 7am and he knew they would be working well into the evening. He needed as much sleep as he could get even if he had just woken up from a nap that lasted a good seven hours. About seven more wouldn’t hurt. It would make the jet lag easier to handle that’s for sure.

“All of us at Asiana Airlines would like to welcome you to New York City. If you are having a connecting flight please make sure to check the screens throughout the gates. We also wish you a safe and continued journey. It has been our pleasure to serve you and we look forward to seeing you again. Thank you and have a safe and pleasant evening.” The flight attendants voice came over the cabin as they taxied to their gate. Sehun couldn’t wait to get up and stretch his legs but he knew there was still a wait. Like clockwork, no matter how many times he flew there was always going to be a group of people who would fly out of their seats before the doors were even open and the fasten seatbelt sign was off. 

The cabin lights came on and just like he expected people were rushing to be the first ones off the plane that they of course caused a traffic jam in the middle of the aisle. Sehun just waited and watched, trying not to be annoyed by the whole spectacle. One person even opened the overhead bin to fast and a suitcase hit him in the face. That’s what happens when one is in a rush for pretty much no reason. It took a good five minutes before the line started moving and there was enough space to get out of his seat. Without looking back Jongin used his long legs to cover the distance and then he was gone. Sehun was going to fall in behind him when he remembered the little lady that they helped on the plane. She was seated directly behind them so he turned around and helped her out of her seat.

“Oh, thank you baby. Your friend ran off quite quickly.” Not bothering to correct her about the friend comment he bent down so she could use his arm to stand up. He didn’t know if it was possible but the woman seemed even more tired than she was before. Then again, she suffered through the same flight as he did. Reaching up, he grabbed her carry-on belongings and together they slowly made their way down the aisle and off the plane. As soon as they made it to the bridge there was a woman with a wheelchair waiting for her. He helped her into the chair and placed her bags firmly in her lap.

“Have a good evening ma’am,” he said softly

“Before you go, what is your name?”

“It’s Sehun. Oh Sehun, ma’am.”

“Well, Sehun. Thank you for all your help. I wish the best to both you and your friend from earlier. Such young souls such as yours deserve nothing but happiness and success. Be well now.” And with that the woman pushed her up the bridge and out of sight. Sehun left shortly after. He didn’t think Jongin would have waited for him, so he was shocked when the man was standing against the wall in front of the gate. Neither said anything as they fell in step together and headed toward the baggage claim. Sehun’s phone rang as soon as they hopped on the escalator.

“Hello.”

“Have you landed yet?”

“Yes, Baekhyun. Thank you for asking.”

“I was just checking. Wanted to make sure Jongin hadn’t killed you yet or hell left you at the airport.”

“I’m sure he would if he could.” Sehun mumbled so Jongin didn’t hear him.

“I just got off the phone with the hotel. They’ll have everything ready for you when you arrive so check-in shouldn’t be an issue.”

“Thank you.” Sehun was certainly grateful for that because he didn’t think either of them had the wherewithal to properly check-in. They were both exhausted. Jongin was nearly falling asleep standing up. 

“There’s just one catch.”

Sehun internally groaned.

“What?” This was not going to be good and he was going to regret asking.

“There’s only one bed.”

Aaannnddd Sehun’s heart nearly stopped. Knowing Baekhyun he hadn’t shared that little tidbit with Jongin so Sehun was going to have to be the one to break it to him. Sehun really wanted to end the night without argument. Truly, all he wanted was a hot shower, a comfy bed, and maybe a light dinner. That’s it. Definitely, not the stress of Jongin bitching at him for things that were out of his control.

“Why, Baekhyun? Why.”

There was no response.

“Baekhyun. Hello. Baekhyun?”

A dial tone now reached his ears. Fuckin hell, the man hung up on him after dropping that bombshell. He was going to ring his neck when he got back to Korea. If this was how the beginning of the trip was going to go, he could pretty much guarantee the rest was going to be infinitely worse. Arriving at the baggage claim it didn’t take them long to find their bags as they luckily were one of the first few on the carousel. Baekhyun had informed him before he left that they would have a driver for the duration of the trip so they wouldn’t have to worry about getting a rental. Heading outside in the silence that still surrounded them, they walked over to an all black SUV with a man standing outside of it with a sign informing them that he was there to pick them up.

“Hello gentleman. If you two would proceed inside the car I will take care of your luggage.” Leaving their bags on the sidewalk, they waited while the chauffeur opened the door before Sehun slid in first and Jongin right behind him, shutting the door as well. Turning to him he was about to tell Jongin about the bed situation when he realized Jongin had put his headphones in and was leaning his head against the window. No need to disturb him, at this rate he would just let it all speak for itself when they got to their hotel.

“If you could please buckle up we will then be on our way.” The driver politely said. Sehun reached behind him and clicked his into place. He wasn’t going to direct the drivers attention to Jongin and the fact that he hadn’t moved and probably wasn’t listening. The SUV gently pulled forward into the airport traffic and then minutes later they were on the streets and heading to the hotel. As expected the drive was a quiet one. Jongin still was in his own world, the driver was equally silent not engaging in small talk, and Sehun was watching the city and all its beautiful lights fly by. They arrived at the Hilton about twenty minutes later. A bellhop was waiting for them when they pulled up and he immediately went to grab their luggage and put it on his cart and then proceeded to wait by the door for them to get out of the car.

“Your assistant graciously emailed my managers of an itinerary for your stay here and I will be your driver throughout. I will be waiting for you by 8am tomorrow morning. Enjoy your evening sirs.”

“Thank you for all of your hard work.” Sehun said with a slight head nod.

“Thank you.”

Sehun jumped at Jongin’s voice. He didn’t realize that Jongin had taken his headphones out and had already opened the door. Sehun opened his as well. He didn’t want to make the mistake of thinking Jongin would be nice enough to hold his open and instead would slam it in his face.

“What? Too good to use my door?” Jongin asked when Sehun made his way around to the other side. He had no idea what he was talking about until he turned and saw that Jongin’s door was still open.

“Didn’t think you would care enough to leave it open.” Before Jongin could respond with a snarky response Sehun walked ahead and went inside towards the concierge desk. He didn’t wait for Jongin as he got them both signed in under the company’s name, two keycards, and two complimentary bottles of water.

“Here.” Handing Jongin his own keycard and water he went over to the elevators and waited for it to arrive. Saying a mini prayer in his head he hoped Jongin didn’t say anything else to him until they got to the room. He needed to save his energy for the all out war he would face when he had to explain why there was only one bed. When the elevator arrived they stepped in with the bellhop last. Sehun pushed the button to floor 12 and then they waited for the trip up. The closer they got to their floor the more Sehun’s stomach began to twist. It was because of something he had not thought of until they got inside the hotel. He would be sharing a bed with someone other than his boyfriend. Well, if that’s what you wanted to call it. They weren’t exclusive or anything but Sehun did care about him. He reminded Sehun so much of Jongin just slightly more aggressive. If he squinted enough one might say that they looked a lot alike. Maybe too much alike but Sehun didn’t necessarily like to dwell on that. 

With a ding the elevator signaled their arrival and together they headed down to room 1294. With a quick swipe of the key Sehun opened the way and Jongin was right behind him, already stripping off his shirt despite the fact that the poor bellhop hadn’t even given them their bags yet. His body was toned but Sehun guessed as much, when he would take an occasional peak at Jongin on days when he wore tight fitted shirts that hugged his biceps and showed the six pack under his shirt. Or the times when he would come across Jongin doing test photoshoots for clients and he would be in a crop top. The man was stunning, no denying that.

“Thank you for your help, sir.” Sehun handed the bellhop a fifty dollar bill, bade the man a good evening, and shut the door. Now let the fun begin, he thought begrudgingly.

***

“Where is the other bed?” Jongin wheeled around to see that Sehun had closed his eyes and looked like he was going through some breathing exercises. Something told him that Sehun knew all about this and was prepared for his reaction. 

“Jongin, before you get upset….”

“Why would I be upset Sehun?” he asked sarcastically

There was no way he was sharing a bed with his debatably speaking, worst enemy. There wasn’t even a couch for Jongin to take. Nope. Just one king sized bed that was smack dab in the middle of the room. Calling his name. He was exhausted but first Sehun was going to explain this bed situation to him. 

“You planned this didn’t you?”

“What are you talking about?” Sehun sounded exasperated but Jongin didn’t care.

“This whole thing. You planned it. I could have easily done this trip on my own so why exactly are you here?” Jongin was being unfair and he knew it but he just had to understand this.

“Jongin, I don’t have time for this. It’s been a long day and I’m tired and dirty. You can choose to believe whatever you want, which you seem to have been doing since we met. I’m taking a shower and you can do whatever it is that you please.”

Jongin could hear in Sehun’s voice that he was tired. Not just tired from traveling but probably going back and forth with Jongin constantly. He felt bad because he had no reason to do this to him. However, he felt like this was a self-preservation tactic. Preservation from a feeling he didn’t think he was willing to address. Never willing to address. He didn’t know how to even begin to apologize considering there were years of apologizing to make up for.

Sehun’s phone ringing brought him out of his thoughts. He looked at the way Sehun’s cheeks turned red like the person he was talking to said something that made him feel bashful. The color looked good on him. Jongin had never seen it on him before but then again when could he have ever been given the chance when all he did was bark at him over absolutely nothing. Even Sehun’s voice was different. Low and slightly flirtatious. It made Jongin’s insides twist at the sound. He might even be considered to be quite envious that he wasn’t the receiver of that voice. Before he could do anything stupid Jongin walked past Sehun and stole his shot at the bathroom. It was an assholish move but at this point not to be really all that unexpected.

“Jongin! Really?!”

Ignoring Sehun’s yelling and knocks on the door he turned the shower on and stepped out of the rest of his clothes. Making sure to grab a towel, he placed it on the counter and then stepped into the glass encased shower with marble flooring. The water hadn’t fully warmed up to his liking but he didn’t really care. It still felt good against his skin and in time it would warm up and relax the tense muscles that were consuming his body after that long flight. Stretching his long limbs he let the water fall across his entire body and despite the water getting in his eyes he didn’t make a move to stop them. This was his current place of comfort and he wasn’t going to move until he was absolutely ready. That was the one thing he enjoyed about traveling, which was the shower and rest afterwards. When he deemed his body relaxed enough he reached around grabbed a washcloth off the handle against the shower wall and the soap. When he was done washing up he stood under the water until it started to turn cold. Stepping out he grabbed a towel and dried off quickly because the heat was dissipating and he was slightly shivering. Wrapping the towel around his waist he walked out to a pitch dark room. He nearly tripped over a suitcase until he reached out a hand to the dresser to steady himself. When he rounded the corner he saw Sehun curled up in a ball on top of the covers, his phone tucked in against his cheek like he had fallen asleep with someone on the phone but still wanted to keep them as close as possible. Going against his urge to be rude, he quietly slipped under the covers, slipped the towel off and fell asleep in the nude. He didn’t know if or when Sehun ever decided to take the shower he wanted when they first arrived. The exhaustion probably overtook him first. 

When morning came the sun was lightly heating up his face. It felt warm even in the slightly cold room. At first he thought he was back at his home when he remembered the impromptu trip and it all came rushing back. The feeling of a body next to him now under the covers solidified his memories. Slowly turning he saw that Sehun wasn’t where he last left him and he smelled like the same soap that Jongin used last night. So he must’ve eventually taken that shower after Jongin fell asleep. Not wanting to disturb Sehun, he slid out of the covers and grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie from his suitcase. Checking the time, they had a good hour or so before their driver would come to pick them up. Which meant food was an option. He was starving and hadn’t eaten since yesterday morning. Grabbing his key card he quietly closed the door behind himself and headed downstairs. They had a whole breakfast buffet and Jongin helped himself to eggs, bacon, biscuits, sausages, and waffles. He washed it all down with a glass of chocolate milk. When he was finished, he grabbed a small box of bacon, waffles, and eggs and bought a bottle of water and went back upstairs. When he opened the door, he thought nothing had changed until he heard the water running in the bathroom. Sehun was awake. After putting the box of food and water on the dresser by Sehun’s side of the bed he went in his suitcase to grab his clothes for the day. Jongin settled on a pair of dark blue jeans, a black top, and an all black lightweight Nike windbreaker. He paired it with his neon Nike shoes. Whenever he went on trips like these he liked to dress more casual. It made him seem less intimidating to those around him. Most people got flustered when they realized he was Co-Creative Director. This lessened the stress and awkwardness for them and made the workday go by faster without thinking they would do something wrong every time they spoke to him. For some reason, he had a feeling that Sehun would do the same. 

When Sehun came out of the bathroom he was dressed exactly as he figured he would be. Tight jeans were covering his long legs and he paired it with a charcoal gray shirt and a tight fitted black blazer. His long silver hair parted in the middle and he was wearing thick rimmed glasses. He was going business casual against Jongin’s complete casual. He looked good and it would still create a sense of calm amongst the others. 

“I’m going down to get break---”

“I brought you up break---”

They both spoke at the same time and Jongin finished before Sehun could start over.

“I brought you up some breakfast.” Jongin was able to finish.

“Uh, thanks. You didn’t have to.”

Jongin somewhat agreed with that but he felt like this was a way he could apologize for how he acted yesterday. He was never good with words. They say ‘actions speak louder than words’ anyway so he figured breakfast could smooth things over and they would be able to finish this trip cordially. While Sehun walked over to his side of the bed and sat down to eat, Jongin went into the bathroom to get ready. When he walked in he realized how much the bathroom smelled like something unique to Sehun. It wasn’t an overwhelming scent but something soft and calming. He could still smell the soap but this was something different. He liked it, not that he would admit that outloud. Standing still in the middle of this bathroom he once again thought about why he disliked Sehun. He went through just about every interaction they ever had over the years and Jongin was nothing but an asshole for no explainable reason. Why? For what? What did he gain? Nothing. Absolutely, nothing. Sehun as always was just being Sehun and never backing down despite how Jongin chose to treat him. When they got back Jongin would make it his mission to try and reset. That's if Sehun even allowed him the chance. 

“Jongin. Are you uh---are you almost ready? It’s nearing 8.”

Sehun’s voice made him jump. How long had he been standing there? Didn’t matter. Rinsing his face and brushing his teeth was the first step to getting his bearings. Once he finished he slipped his clothes on and ran a hand through his black hair and then opened the door. Sehun was bending over looking for something when he came out. Damn he had a nice ass.

“Did you finish eating?” Jongin asked before he could stop himself. Sehun looked up at him and nodded. A small “thank you” leaving his lips before he went into the bathroom. Jongin grabbed his phone, wallet, keys and keycard from the dresser and slipped them into the inside zipper of his windbreaker. When he made sure he wasn’t missing anything he went and waited by the door for Sehun to finish in the bathroom. Looking at his watch he noted they had about five minutes to make it downstairs and then they’d be right on schedule. Perfect timing.

“Ready?” Sehun’s deep voice reached his ears and he looked up from where he was staring at the floor to see that he was looking at him expectantly.

“Yeah, yeah.” 

Opening the door he let Sehun out first before coming out behind him. They walked down the hallway in this weird silence. It wasn’t awkward, but somewhat tense. Almost like Sehun was waiting for Jongin to start arguing with him and didn’t quite understand why he hadn’t yet. Had he really made his life this much of a living hell for this long? There was nothing he could do about that now except move forward. Right?

***

Sehun was seriously weirded out. Jongin hadn’t yelled at him. Fussed at him. Made some smart remark over something he couldn’t even control. Where was the real Jongin and what had the universe done to him? He was waiting for something. Anything. This wasn’t normal. Maybe this was most people’s normal but not there’s. He had grown used to Jongin’s incessant bickering and arguing. It was what Sehun acutely associated with Jongin. This wasn’t Jongin. Not the Jongin he knew. It was actually making him somewhat unnerved. He wanted his Jongin back. This wasn’t him.

“Are you okay?” Sehun asked when they made it down to the lobby and he saw the car that they used last night pull up at the exact same time that they walked outside. 

“Yeah. Why?”

“No reason.” Sehun mumbled more to himself than Jongin.

He was officially freaked out. Normally, Jongin would give him a grumbled response if he gave him one at all. He wasn’t a morning person to begin with but he definitely wasn’t much better if Sehun was in the mix. So what happened in the middle of the night? It had only been like six hours. Jongin couldn’t change that fast. There was no way. Choosing to not dwell on the weirdness Sehun just prepared to get through the day. They had a lot on the agenda. Making sure the venue was secured, all the clothes had been delivered, models were arriving promptly for fittings, and all employees were available and accounted for. Nothing about the day was going to be easy, so if he could take disgruntled Jongin off the list then he would graciously take what he could get.

“Good morning. We should be arriving at your destination in about thirty minutes. Is there any place you need to stop before we arrive at the venue?” The driver kindly asked as they slid into the backseat. Neither answered, so the driver took that as a no. When they were settled in and seatbelts on they were pulling off into the morning traffic. Sehun slid his sunglasses on and looked out the window and watched as thousands of people walked the streets, heading to their jobs. The city looked different during the day but it was no less impressive. Instead, now he could see everything from the quaint breakfast shops to the larger more prominent ones, the stores, apartments, dog parks, and everything in between. Everyone lived their own life in New York and he enjoyed seeing that despite so many people maneuvering the streets they all still managed to move in sync. New York moved as one. He wished he could stay longer just so he could properly experience the New York life but unfortunately that wasn’t on the agenda, but he would make sure it was in the future.

His phone ringing in his pocket snapped him out of his daydreaming. Putting his headphones in he answered the call.

“Hello,” Sehun answered softly.

“Hey, babe.” 

There was the voice. The one he fell asleep to and clearly the one he started his day with. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. The first voice he heard was Jongin’s. Soft and caring. Not the usual brash and aggressive. Certainly not something he was used to but something he could thoroughly say he liked on him. Despite the fact that the Jongin he spoke to this morning weirded him out a bit.

“Isn’t it late there?” Sehun replied.

“How is that any way to greet your boyfriend?” The voice growled through the phone.

“You’re not my boyfriend.” And that was factual. They weren’t boyfriends. Sehun wasn’t ready for that. He certainly liked the company. The sex was phenomenal. But something was missing. His heart just wasn’t into it. No matter how hard he tried to convince himself that it was. No, Sehun knew who he wanted yet he was unattainable. They would never work. So, for now he settled for second best without a label.

“Ouch. That hurts.”

“You’ll be fine.”

“When are you coming home? I miss you.”

Sehun sighed. They had this conversation before he left. Well, if you wanted to call it a conversation. He woke up to having to hear grumblings about how he always puts work first and was never around because he was traveling. Sehun had to remind him once again that they were not dating. That was the wrong thing to say at the wrong time. That only served to make the other angrier and almost caused him to miss his flight. That argument reminded him of the ones with Jongin. Except the ones with Jongin he selfishly perceived them to be every day healthy banter. This was different. It always was, despite the similarities he faced. No one had ever met his “boyfriend” and it was because he didn’t want to deal with the stares and the questions that would inevitably come with it. Arms length was good. Always good. 

“I have to go.”

“Sehun.”

“I’ll see you when I get back.” Before more could be said Sehun hung up his phone. He thought his morning mood was going to be dictated by how Jongin fussed at him but nope it came from another direction entirely. Now, his mood was detached, stressed, and just sad. Closing his eyes for the rest of the ride he let the sounds of the streets and the rev of the engine soothe him. Controlling his breathing he didn’t let the feelings of that conversation cloud him for the rest of the day. It would not be productive and would serve to make the day worse when it wasn’t needed. They were already under a time constraint and the last thing they needed was his bad attitude.

“We have arrived gentleman. Please call me whenever you have finished your duties and I will return promptly.”

“Thank you.” Sehun said as he opened his door and hurried around to the sidewalk before he got side swiped by a car barreling down the street.

“My door still not good enough?” Jongin asked when he came around to his side.

“What?”

Jongin just nodded at the door he was shutting and smirking at him as he did so. Sehun squinted at him from behind his shades. Scratch that. He blatantly stared at him. The sun hit him on his bronzed skinned, his jaw was sharp, his long legs held his lithe body, and he could see his muscles pushing against his windbreaker. He was beautiful. Something Sehun forever refused to admit out loud especially in his presence. 

“You’re staring.” Jongin said as he passed Sehun and headed into the building. Shaking his head he walked inside as well. The fashion show would be held in the grand showroom and from what he could see as he headed down the hallway behind Jongin was the hundreds of people setting up and working efficiently to make sure everything went without a hitch. The room was massive. Had a stage that took up the middle of the room. It stretched out into an intricate design before heading towards the backstage. There were chairs settled around the stage as well. A section for the press was right in the middle and was roped off. To the right in an upscale lounge area was where the VIP members would be sitting. Everywhere else was open seating. A large screen was set up on the stage where an intricate light show would be shown that would fit the theme of the show. So far everything was going according to plan.

“Boss! Boss. We’ve got a problem.”

Sehun spoke to soon about things going according to plan. Seulgi who was the company’s fashion and design consultant came streaming down the hallway like the building was on fire. This couldn’t be good. He was hoping that the worst thing that could possibly come out of her mouth was that some piece of clothing was missing. That could be fixed fairly easily with a phone call and overnight shipping. 

“Morning, Seulgi. What’s the problem?” Jongin was the first to ask.

They both waited as she caught her breath. 

“Four models *cough cough* four models cancelled on us. I can’t find the backup sheet for replacements. I tried calling Baekhyun but they said he hadn’t made it into the office yet.”

Well Sehun could fix part of that problem.

“No worries Seulgi. I kept the backup list on my phone and highlighted the top ones just in case anyone was unable to make it. I’ll send it to you so you can make the phone calls and get them down here as fast as possible.”

“Ah, thank you boss.”

Sehun pulled his phone out and found the sheet deep within his folders and archives and immediately sent it to her. It took him some time because they had picked the models months ago and he hadn’t needed to revisit the list since then. He’d had a lot of projects to take care of in that time. When she got the notification she sped off to go contact the four girls. Now they needed to find a makeshift room for them to walk the garments for them to make sure they were still what they were looking for, for this show. The last thing he needed was for them to not be able to wear the clothes that he knew were on site. 

After that incident the rest of the day flew by relatively fast. Of course it wasn’t without Jongin’s random quips at him and backhanded compliments. Sehun had to smile to himself because that was the Jongin he had been waiting for all day. They fussed over which order to put the models in, how they wanted the music to flow, the darkness of the grand showroom, how far apart the damn chairs were to be placed, hell even the rope to carpet distance for the press outside. This was their normal. Everyone around them either stared like they were an old married couple or just completely ignored them. There was no in between, but they were used to it. By the time everything started winding down and people were heading home, the rest to be finished tomorrow; Sehun was hungry. It was pushing on 9pm. He was barely able to eat the lunch that was catered because they had to keep having the replacement girls do their run through. He almost got frustrated and sent them home but eventually they got the hang of it. When he deemed them passeable Jongin worked on putting them in the line up. That took at least another two hours. Now, all Sehun wanted to do was eat, fall asleep and hope that tomorrow would go by smoother. They wouldn’t be staying for the show as they had more business to start back at the firm. Fortunately, they had Junmyeon and Chanyeol as great second-in-commands to oversee the finishined product. They would be in good hands.

“Ready to get out of here?”

Sehun was waiting by the lobby door and was staring. Seeing nothing despite everything that was moving around him. He had spaced out really bad. It was time for him to crawl right back into bed. He was even tempted to forgo some food but that wasn’t the best idea. Waking up with a headache tomorrow was not on the agenda.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. Let’s go.”

The venue was pretty much empty now and a cleaning crew was now coming in. A woman was vacuuming the hallway while another looked to be mopping up the bathrooms as they headed out the front doors. The evening air hit his face and it served to be the little late night boost that he needed to survive without falling over on his face. Their car was already waiting for them on the sidewalk and they silently got in together. Nothing was spoken between them and the nighttime drive was a fairly quick one. Although, it had been a long and tiring day they somehow managed to accomplish everything that they needed to. Tomorrow was the last minute touches and a run through of the entire show. Him and Jongin worked well together. They always had. Sehun had a feeling no one really understood their relationship but when push came to shove they always got done what needed to be done and on time.

When the car pulled into the front of the hotel, Sehun took his seatbelt off and went for his door and then at the last second decided to use Jongin’s. He had almost made it across the seat when the door was shut in his face. Sehun really needed to stop going against his instincts. All he could do was shake his head at himself and his stupidity. Pushing the door open with a grumble of curse words on his tongue he looked up to see Jongin smirking at him. He wanted to smack the taste out of his mouth.

“What? Now my door is good enough?” Sehun ignored the comment and went through the lobby door and headed upstairs to their room. He had no plans to wait for Jongin and quite frankly didn’t care if he was behind him or not. Jongin could sleep in the hallway for all he cared. And tonight Sehun was going to get the hower first.

Sehun was able to slide into a closing elevator and he pushed the button for his floor. There was another couple on with him but they got off on the ninth floor. He bid them a good evening and then they were on their way. Seconds later he was getting off on his floor and heading down to the room. When he got inside the lights were off but he could see that the bed was freshly made and the towels from that morning had been cleaned up and replaced with new ones. Turning a lamp on Sehun put the keycard and wallet on the dresser and slipped his jacket off. Just as he was walking over to his side of the bed to plug in his nearly dying phone it rang. He wasn’t surprised by who was calling. 

“Talking to me this morning wasn’t enough?” Was the greeting that Sehun gave.

“You know I’m always good for missing you.”

That voice. It was different from Jongin’s but nearly identical. Everything was identical but yet different all the same. Kai was----how to describe him? He was brute. Aggressive. Intense. Intimidating. His aura oozed heat and strength. It consumed Sehun’s being. But there was something missing. Something that he knew Jongin could give him. Yet like he knew from the moment they met, would always be unreachable. Jongin on the other hand had a calming aggression. A brutish nature only achieved when pushed. Intense in his work but not with his comrades and employees. He was intimidating when he was caught in his own thoughts. And his aura was a mystery waiting to be unlocked. Sehun wanted to unlock him but Jongin never opened himself up to him for a chance. So, he settled for the one who was going to get him as close as he could get to the real deal. Speaking of the real deal….

“Sehun, you know it’s not nice to not hold elevators for others.”

Sehun ignored Jongin’s quip as he made his way into their room and went back to his conversation on the phone. Not that it seemed to be much better.

“Who is that and why is he in your room Sehun?” 

“Kai---it’s not like that so no need to freak out. Plus, need I remind you that we’re---”

“Not dating. Yeah, I know. Doesn’t mean I have to like another man sharing a room with you.”

Well, no need to inform him that he was sharing a bed as well; Sehun thought to himself.

“Can we just talk tomorrow? It’s late and I’m tired.”

“Ya know, you never want to talk when he’s around?

“What are you talking about?” Sehun was thinking that Kai had to of lost his mind. They practically lived together and damn near saw each other everyday. So, Sehun really had no idea what Kai was talking and why he chose now to speak on it.

“You can deny it all you want but I know there’s someone else. There’s always been someone else.”

Sehun couldn’t believe this conversation was happening. What in the hell kinda twilight zone was he currently living in? First Jongin was acting all nice to him this morning and now Kai was asking ridiculous questions. These two were hellbent on making his head spin on a daily basis. Why couldn’t the universe just put them in one body so he wasn’t constantly dealing with two different versions of the same person. Why did the universe have to put Kai in his life anyway? All he wanted was to get his coffee in peace the morning that they met. It all changed when Kai came up behind him, offered to pay, and then slid his number to him on a napkin as he handed him his drink and walked out. However, to be fair he made the choice to call him. He could have left well enough alone but he didn’t and now he had a Kai and a Jongin in his life; neither lives destined to ever meet. Or, so he hoped.

***

Time stopped for moving for absolutely no one. No matter what stresses people had, what issues were going on at home, or how hard work was; the clock kept ticking. That rang true for Jongin and Sehun. They were able to get everything finished for the fashion show. Junmyeon and Chanyeol finished it flawlessly and everyone got paid on time. For all intents and purposes the trip went on without a hitch. They got back early in the morning and both parted their separate ways at the airport. “See you tomorrows” left unspoken between them. The air between them remained the same, nothing old but nothing new either. Jongin would be back to his old ways and Sehun would be okay with that. It was part of his day that Sehun looked forward to. Unfortunately, this current morning was not one he expected or could have ever foreseen let alone prepared for. Sehun was walking to the lobby of his fashion firm because their receptionist Rose’ said that “boss man is looking for you.” The only problem with that was “boss man” was currently standing in his own office when he had quickly passed by. So that meant only one thing. Kai had decided to grace everyone with his presence. On his way out of his office, his chest was threatening to fly out of his chest. Kai said that he would see him this evening because he would be at work late. Sehun hadn’t let him stay over the night he came back from his business trip because he wanted time to himself in his own bed, in his own space. This was going to be the first time they would be seeing each other since he got back. So, why was he here now? He didn’t need Jongin and Kai ever crossing paths because he had no earthly clue how he was supposed to explain that one. Then when the entire office got wind of it then the questions, stares, and wonders would just keep coming. Coming around the corner Sehun noted that Kai was standing against the receptionist desk, back against the counter, eyes trained on the floor in front of him. He looked good as always. His side profile strong, bronze skin gleaming under the light, black hair parted in the middle, arms crossing over his chest and his muscles were pushing against the seams of his button down shirt, and long legs were clad in a pair of black pants. One thing he would never do was get tired of staring at the other. Now, that he was done staring how did he go about talking to Kai without giving away that it wasn’t Jongin. Well this was awkward.

“Hey, baby.”

Well there goes any plans that Sehun didn’t have. Jongin never calls Sehun baby or anything of the affectionate sort. Strike one.

“Mmm...you look delectable.”

Strike two.

Sehun had wanted to be discreet in getting Kai out of the building without eyes watching him but that wasn’t possible now that Kai had spotted him and was saying all the things that a lover would say.

“Can we go somewhere private to talk?” Sehun asked when he reached Kai.

“What? No, good morning kiss?”

Strike three.

Sehun could see Rose’ looking at him like he had grown a third head. Probably wondering when her two bosses had gotten together and were now so brazen about it? Too bad for her, the office gossip was going to be wrong because that wasn’t her boss. Farthest thing from it to be quite honest but she didn’t need to know that. 

“Breakfast?”

“No. I can’t I’m busy. You said we were doing dinner later anyway. Why are you here?” Sehun whispered as he walked them over to the elevator and out of earshot from what he could now see was a growing audience. If he didn’t get Kai out of there fast and Jongin walked in then he would pretty much die from panic and embarrassment.

“Is there a reason you don’t want me here? A reason why you never brought me here?”

“No.”

“You’re lying.” Kai squinted at him.

“I don’t have time---”

“You don’t have time for this. Yeah, I figured. You never seem to have time.”

“Kai. I was looking forward to having dinner with you later. I just wasn’t expecting you to show up here unannounced. That’s all.”

“Is that really all?”

It wasn’t but Sehun wasn’t about to get into it with him. Not here. Not now.

“Look can we talk about this later?”

Just as he was about to get his question answered, the unfathomable happened. 

“Sehun aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend here?”

Now would have been a really good time for the floor to open up and swallow him. What happened to destiny keeping these two far away from each other? They were never supposed to meet. Lives never to have crossed paths. Now here they all were and Sehun’s mouth was completely dry and his head was spinning. He didn’t have much of a choice now that Jongin was here. He couldn’t very well ignore the request now could he? Plus, it was clear the entire office was waiting for an answer as well.

***

Kai wasn’t lying when he said that he wanted to see Sehun later that evening. He wasn’t lying  
when he said that he had a long day ahead of him at work. That was all facts. However, he had other things in mind. Kai hadn’t seen him since Sehun came back from his trip. When he picked him up from the airport that evening he had denied him a greeting kiss, instead opting for a small smile and an equally quiet hello. They got his bags in silence and the car ride home, he hadn’t uttered a word. When Kai had gotten out to help him with his luggage and went inside, Sehun had told him that he everything covered and would see him later. Kai wanted to press him about letting him stay the night but instead he went back to his car and headed home. They hadn’t spoken since then, his “good morning” texts read but never answered. So, instead he decided to show up at his work. Sehun told him about it when they first started “dating” but he never allowed him anywhere near the building. He couldn’t take him to work in the mornings or pick him up in the evenings. Kai never thought much of it because at the time they were still new. Yeah, they hadn’t put a label on it in the nearly ten months that they had been seeing each other but at some point something had to give. He didn’t fancy the idea that he was pushing himself on Sehun but he wanted more. Needed more. Every single touch they shared, every smile, every laugh; meant the world to him. He never felt anything for anybody like this before in his life. Now something so strong was in his grasp but he still felt like something was missing. Someone was in his way from getting Sehun all to himself and he was going to find out who. 

When he walked into the downstairs lobby of the twenty floor building he was astounded by how modern it was. It was open and airy but that was to be expected of a fashion design company. He figured it gave them room for expression. He could understand that despite the fact that he kept himself holed up in a dance studio for almost fourteen hours a day, but expression was important in any way one could attain it so he wasn’t one to judge. Discreetly walking over to the elevators where it would tell him which floor Sehun would most likely be on he saw his name on the plaque next to a Kim Jongin. Pushing the button to go up he got on and went up to floor 14. When he got off it was everything and nothing that he was expecting. There was a circular receptionist’s desk with a petite looking girl with long red hair sitting behind the desk currently talking on the phone. The flooring was all white and the ceiling was covered with intricate designs that held their lights. It was a little too bright for his liking but luckily for him he didn’t have to work there every day. Looking around he noted people moving between different sections of the office, measuring tapes hanging off necks, Iphones in hand, and some were even pushing hangers of clothing. How did anyone function in such a chaotic setting, he certainly would not like to find out. Walking over to the receptionist he smirked down at her as she hung up the phone and started typing something on the computer.

“I’ll be with you in a second.” She said without looking up at him.

He silently waited for her to finish her work as he was in no rush. 

“Okay, how can I help yo--oh hey boss!”

Boss? He didn’t work here. Was this girl new? If she was, she really needed to be fired if she thought someone like him would work in a place such as this. This was definitely Sehun’s realm of expertise and he was more than glad to let him have it.

“Boss. Are you looking for someone? Baekhyun isn’t in yet and I think Sehun is in his office.”

Sehun! That’s who he needed to see. He couldn’t ask her where his office was because apparently he was the boss so that means he should automatically know where everything was. This was going to be difficult.

“Do you want me to call him up here for you? I think he just got in not too long ago.”

“Thanks, sweetheart. That would be great.”

The young girl blanched at his use of sweetheart but didn’t say anything. He had a feeling this “boss” didn’t use such words of affection so loosely. Oops, oh well. She’ll get over it. Leaning his back against the counter he waited as the girl called Sehun to meet him up front. He was hoping the other would hurry up because people were starting to stare. It wasn’t unusual for him but this was different and he couldn’t quite put his finger on why. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sehun round a long corridor and damn did he look stunning. He could never get tired of how gorgeous Sehun looked no matter what he was wearing. Of course, his favorite would always be his birthday suit. That outfit granted him easy access and he certainly got a good meal out of it.

“Hey baby,” he said when Sehun walked up to him.

When Sehun didn’t give any type of response he moved off the counter and walked towards him wanting to put his hands on his waist. When he stepped back a little, he stopped.

“Mmm...you look delectable.” He may not have been able to touch the man at the moment but that didn’t mean he couldn’t admire him all the same. And yes he was delectable, and Kai has tasted him inside and out and it was the best thing that he had ever eaten. He was hungry just thinking about it. 

Kai returned his attention back to Sehun and out of the thoughts of ravishing his body. He was liable to take him in the middle of the lobby but since he was possessive he couldn’t have that. Kai watched as Sehun fidgeted like he wanted him out of the building with a quickness. That meant Kai needed to find out why he didn’t want him here. The answer was in this building.

“Can we go somewhere private to talk?”

“What? No, good morning kiss?”

The fidgeting got worse and he could see Sehun starting to blush around his neck and his cheeks were turning rosy. He was so fucking cute. And those lips were formed in a subtle pout he wanted to kiss them and make them puffy. 

Kai had now noticed that everyone around them had subsequently stopped what they were doing and were staring at them. He had no idea why. Well, he could take a guess. He could presume that Sehun didn’t have many outside visitors and most likely not one that looked like him. They could stare all they wanted, he was here for Sehun and whomever had his man in such flustered shambles. Only he was allowed to make him nervous.

“Sehun aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend here?”

***

Jongin had been in the office all night long. He had been slaving over the budgets for their next proposal, how many workers they would need, where the project would be held, and who would design what. He let Sehun go home around 11:00 last night, the man having looked like he was going to fall asleep standing up. Normally, the other wouldn’t mind staying but Jongin figured jet lag hit him harder than usual. He wasn’t as fast on his quips as he normally was and he looked like he was continuously getting lost in thought throughout the day. So, he put the man out of his misery while he stayed and attempted to finish up. Having a couch, small closet, and mini bathroom inside of his office was a godsend on days like that. So having just finished taking a shower and putting clean clothes on he went to search out Sehun to see if he had made it in yet. If he hadn’t he would understand. A few extra hours of sleep wouldn’t hurt anybody. Plus, being the Co-Creative Director had its perks. He could come and go as he pleased without anyone questioning him.

Walking out of his office clad in new clothes he started for Sehun’s office that was further down the hallway, when suddenly people started bustling past him not sparing him a glance. That wasn’t abnormal for their workplace but it was when it seemed they were all headed in the same direction like the building was on fire. He was able to catch some whisperings but wasn’t quite able to clearly hear anything that was said. Figuring the lobby was where everyone was zooming off to he slowly followed behind them. When he got to the front everyone was huddled around staring at Sehun who was talking to some man by the elevator. He had never seen him before and didn’t really understand the fuss. Yeah, he never brought anyone into the office but who really cared that he was talking to someone. Searching the crowd, he saw Baekhyun’s head leaning over the desk to talk to Rose’ who was staring just as intently at the couple in front of them. Walking over he stood right next to him, the other having not noticed him yet. He just waited for Baekhyun to spill the tea.

“It took them long enough. Now the entire office can breathe without the sexual tension.” Baekhyun said

“I know! Guess that business trip did them some good.” Rose’ stated happily.

“Maybe I should have sent them out of town sooner.”

“You did that on purpose?”

“Maybe. Maybe not. I’ll never tell.”

And Now Jongin was officially confused. They couldn’t have possibly been talking about him. 

“Baekhyun.”

“Oh hey boss.” Baekhyun hadn’t even bothered to look over in Jongin’s direction. Entirely too caught up in the two love birds in front of them. He still hadn’t figured out what the fuss was about.

Baekhyun still hadn’t turned in Jongin’s direction so he gave him a few more minutes of people watching before he nudged him, which caused him to finally turn around. When he looked at him he nearly tripped over his own two feet. He kept looking back and forth between him and the guy Sehun was talking too.

“Jongin? Wait you are Jongin right?”

“Uh as far as I know I am.”

“Then if you’re over here, who’s over there?”

“How the hell should I know? You’re the one with all the info around this place.”

“Do you have a twin?”

“Not that I know of.”

Baekhyun was turning positively pale like he had seen a ghost. Jongin was the same ol’ Jongin that walked through the door everyday. So, he wasn’t understanding this response. Guess he had to go find out for himself. Leaving Baekhyun to his own confusion, he walked over to Sehun and stood next to him. Looking at the man in front of him he once again didn’t understand what all the fuss was about. What he saw was nothing short of unspectacular. He was shorter than Sehun, well dressed, had some muscle on him, he was lean, and his hair was swept back. Why was everyone thinking this guy looked anything like Jongin? Guess he had to send them all to some eye doctors appointments. This was just laughably wrong.

“Sehun aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend?”

***  
Sehun was still waiting for the floor to open up and swallow him. Why hadn’t it yet? Was Jongin mocking him by asking who his friend was? He clearly saw exactly what everyone else was now witnessing. Two identical people interacting but Jongin had no twin. They were probably confused. He overheard them thinking that him and Jongin had gotten together while they were away. Apparently, the entirety of the staff had been waiting for that moment. Well, he was sorry to disappoint because that was not the case. No, he was just indulging himself with his look-alike. A doppleganger if you will. It wasn’t intentional. Not entirely. At first, he wanted to see how much Kai was like Jongin. What it would be like to be with someone who looked like him but wasn’t him. Overtime though it only served to make him realize he just wanted the real deal more. But the real deal hated him. So, Kai would have to do. Sehun was trying. He really was but there was always going to be something missing between them.

“Sehun?”

Jongin was calling his name. Or was that Kai? 

“Sehun. Hello, welcome back to earth princess.”

That was Jongin. He could hear the subtle mocking playfulness in his voice. Had that been Kai it would have sounded harsher on his lips. Not rude, just aggressive.

“Huh? Oh, sorry. Jongin this is Kai. Kai this is Jongin.”

Sehun held his breath while the two sized each other up. Neither making a move to greet the other. Not a handshake. Not a nod. Not even a hello. They just stood there like they were each other’s competition, which was ridiculous because Jongin never paid him that much attention to even imply that he even saw Sehun in that way. He continued to watch the silent interaction and then Kai turned to him.

“Like I said earlier, I’ll be seeing you later this evening.” Sehun just nodded and intended to turn around and head back to his office when he felt a hand grab his wrist and pull him flush against a chest. Kai was breathing heavy against him and despite his inner turmoil he was weak and powerless to do anything about it. Kai slowly leaned forward and locked their lips. It wasn’t the usual heavy and deep kiss that he was used too but it was enough to leave him breathless with his head spinning and heart racing. It was almost like Kai was staking his claim.

“That’s the best breakfast I could have asked for.” Kai said as he pulled away and got onto the opening elevator. With a wink he was gone. When he turned around he looked up to see Jongin staring at him with an intensity he had never witnessed from the other before. He had to get out there. Away from everyone. The stares. The whispers. The entire situation. His office was going to be his safe place for the foreseeable future. Maneuvering around Jongin he didn’t say a word as he went down the hallway and flew through his office door only to have it stopped before shutting all the way.

“Ya know Sehun you could have brought your friend around sooner. We don’t bite.”

Sehun was going to be sick. Jongin couldn’t be serious. Why was he mocking the fact that he was involved with a guy that looked exactly like him? Didn’t he see how distressed this was making him. Bordering on complete embarrassment. And here he was saying he should have brought him around sooner. 

‘This is funny to you isn’t it?”

“Funny?”

“Yeah, funny. I know you see it. Just tell me how you really feel.”

“Sehun. I don’t feel anything. Well other than being offended.”

There it was. The honest truth. He was waiting for Jongin to elaborate but when he didn’t Sehun had to seal the deal and ask why.

“Offended why?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“No.” Yes.

“I’m offended because people seem to think he looks like me. Unless, I look like an average joe schmoe off the street, I think our employees need to get their eyes checked.”

Wait.

“Hold on. Jongin you don’t see it?”

“See what? Is there something I’m missing here?”

Sehun searched Jongin’s face to see if he was joking. He wasn’t. He truly didn’t see what everyone else saw. How was that possible? And was it the same for Kai? Could they not see each other but everyone else could see them. It’s almost like they were experiencing a sense of look-alike anonymity. A doppleganger’s anonymous.


End file.
